1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to a heat developing and transferring apparatus in which an imagewise exposed heat-developable light-sensitive material is superposed on an image-receiving material, and while the superposed materials are being wound around an outer periphery of a drum, the heat-developable light-sensitive material is heat developed by heating and, at the same time, an image is transferred onto the image-receiving material. Also, the present invention concerns an image recording method using said apparatus.
2. Statement of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image recording apparatus is known in which a heat-developable light-sensitive material is exposed imagewise to light, and this heat-developable light-sensitive material is superposed on an image-receiving material and subjected to heating, allowing the heat-developable light-sensitive material to be heat developed and an image to be transferred onto the image-receiving material so as to obtain an image.
In this type of image recording apparatus, a heating drum and an endless pressure-contact belt are provided. The endless pressure contact belt is wound around a plurality of winding rollers, and an outer side thereof is brought into pressure contact with an outer periphery of the heating drum.
In addition, a superposing roller which abuts against the outer periphery of the heating drum is disposed in the vicinity of a portion of the endless pressure-contact belt wound around a winding roller located at an end of the roller chain.
The imagewise exposed heat-developable light-sensitive material with the image-receiving material superposed thereon by the superposing roller is fed between the heating drum and the portion of the endless pressure-contact belt wound around the winding roller on the superposing roller side (i.e., fed to a materials supplying section), and is then wound around the outer periphery of the heating drum.
The respective materials are clamped and conveyed for a predetermined time in a state in which they are superposed on each other between the endless pressure-contact belt and the heating drum heated to approximately 90.degree. C. As a result, the heat-developable light-sensitive material is heat developed, and the image formed on the heat-developable light-sensitive material is transferred onto the image-receiving material.
However, there are cases where an unevenness and blurring take place in the transferred image due to defects occurring at the time when the heat-developable light-sensitive material and the image-receiving material are wound around the outer periphery of the heating drum (i.e., between said outer periphery and the endless pressure-contact belt), or when the heat-developable light-sensitive material and the image-receiving material after transfer are released from the outer periphery of the heating drum, or when the heat-developable light-sensitive material and the image receiving material are separated from each other after releasing. For instance, at the time of the aforementioned winding, the arrangement is such that, after the two materials are superposed on each other by the superposing roller, the materials are fed between the heating drum and a portion of the endless pressure-contact belt wound around a winding roller on the superposing roller side (i.e., fed into the materials supplying section). However, since the winding roller is held in close contact with the outer periphery of the heating drum in this materials supplying section (i.e., since there is no gap between the wound endless pressure-contact belt and the outer periphery of the heating drum in the materials supplying section), even if the materials undergo rapid thermal expansion at a point where they are spaced apart from the superposing roller after being clamped by the superposing roller and the heating drum and heated by the heating drum, the materials continue to be fed between the endless pressure-contact belt and the heating drum without this expansion escaping. Consequently, there have been cases where incorrect superpositions in the form of such as "wrinkles" and "peeling" occur.
As a result, when an image recorded on the heat-developable light-sensitive material is transferred onto the image-receiving material, an unevenness in development and transfer can possibly occur, thereby making it impossible to obtain a desirable image.